Kevin Durant Has His Eyes on the Spurs and It's the Perfect Fit

It feels like it’s a matter of when — not if — the Phoenix Suns will trade superstar Kevin Durant.

According to The Athletic on Monday evening, the 36-year-old former MVP prefers to play for the San Antonio Spurs.

And that’s the best fit for him.

Now, Durant has reportedly told the Suns that he would commit long term to the Spurs, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat, but it’s up to new Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory to get the best return for the two-time NBA champion — even if that means sending him elsewhere.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were believed to be a finalist in the Durant sweepstakes, but The Athletic also reported that he has no interest in playing there, meaning that a pairing with Anthony Edwards would truly be a one-year rental — similar to when Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors.

According to The Ringer, the Suns could be looking for San Antonio’s No. 2 overall pick or Stephon Castle in trade talks centered around Durant. That’s a hefty price tag, but the Spurs might not need that No. 2 overall pick in the first place, and if Durant commits to San Antonio to finish out his career, it just might be worth it.

Many basketball fans would have assumed that whenever Gregg Popovich officially decided to retire, San Antonio would be left in ruins. That's far from the truth. Superstar Victor Wembanyama is primed to be a Defensive Player of the Year finalist as long as he stays healthy. De’Aaron Fox was acquired from the Sacramento Kings and fit seamlessly. The young supporting cast of Castle, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan gives Spurs fans hope that this team can contend for titles.

And there’s no denying that Durant would likely expedite that timeline.

Durant would instantly become an upgrade over Harrison Barnes. But more importantly, Durant could serve as the backbone of the team’s offense, shouldering the load while the youngster Wembanyama continues to develop. Many of Durant's superteam efforts have failed, but the Spurs might just have the young core required to pull this off.

Also, is there anybody better for Wemby to learn from? Durant is a bona fide seven-footer, a fluid forward and one of the purest scorers the game has ever seen. Wembanyama is still just 21 years old and could pick up a thing or two from watching Durant.

New Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson should welcome a Durant trade. While the Spurs have one of the most lovable young cores in basketball, they finished as the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference. Sure, Wemby and Fox were both shut down for the season, but San Antonio needs to focus on giving its generational superstar the best supporting cast it can.

If Wembanyama is truly the best prospect the NBA has seen since LeBron James, the Spurs cannot afford to treat him like the Cleveland Cavaliers did — stranding a generational talent with no supporting cast and then being left in ruins.